Canalizing conveyor system, particularly for packing machines



July 14, 1964 A SERAGNOLI 3,140,772

CANALIZING CON VEYOR SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY FOR PACKING MACHINES FiledDec. 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 10570 SafifiMOl-I BY V UnitedStates Patent 3,140,772 CANALIZING CONVEYOR SYSTEM, PARTICU- LARLY FORPACKING MACEHNES Ariosto Seragnoli, Bologna, Italy, assignor to G1).

Societa in Accomandita semplice di Enzo Seragnoli ed Ariosto Seragnoli,Bologna, Italy, a corporation of Italy Filed Dec. 18, 1962, Ser. No.245,483 Claims priority, application Italy Dec. 21, 1961 6 Claims. (Cl.198-32) This invention relates to a conveyor system by which articlesare conveyed from the outlets of one or more first machines to the inletof a subsequent machine, particularly for packing machines and the like.

In the packing or wrapping machine art, it is frequently necessary toconvey products, packets or the like, from the outlets of one or morefirst machines, by which they are manufactured or treated in any manner,or by which eg a first covering is applied thereto, to the inlet of asubsequent machine, by which a further treatment or operation is carriedout e.g. a second coveringe.g. of cellophaneis placed upon the firstone.

Of particular interest is the case wherein the articles come from atleast two outlets of the same first machine, or of different firstmachines, and are to be conveyed to the single inlet of a subsequentmachine.

The articles coming from the difierent outlets of the first machine ormachines, must be then fed in sequence to the single inlet, by mutuallyintercalating the arriving articles.

Typical of the foregoing situation is the making of cigarettes, whereinthere are packaging machines, by which the cigarettes are packaged in abox or packet, upon which is then placed a second collophane covering bymeans of subsequent wrapping machines.

The cigarette packaging machines are equipped with relatively slowlyoperated packaging heads, each of which is capable of producing at arate much slower than that at which the pickets can be covered withcellophane by a packing or wrapping machine. Each packaging head feedsan outlet; and a single machine may be fitted with a plurality ofpackaging heads, with as many outlets. This is one of the cases whereinthe conveyor system according to this invention can be convenientlyutilized, to feed to a single cellophane Wrapping machine (or subsequentmachine) from a plurality of outlets of the packing machine (or firstmachine).

In order to convey the articles coming from the outlets of firstmachines to an inlet of a subsequent machine, such articles wereheretofore usually collected in containers, which were then brought tothe inlet of the subsequent machine.

It was also proposed to take the articles directly from the outlets offirst machines, and to convey them to the subsequent machine by means ofautomatic conveyors.

Difficulties are encounted with the above method due to the fact thatthe rates of operation or outputs of the first machines and of thesubsequent machines are usually independent or unrelated from oneanother. Further difficulties arise from possible stoppages or failuresof the first machines, or of the subsequent machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor systemadapted to automatically distribute articles coming from a greaternumber of conveyor lines to a reduced number of conveyor lines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor system asdescribed with reference to the preceding object which will be sensitiveto the flow rate of the articles in the conveyor lines and adapted toautomatically divert the articles from over-charged or obstructedconveyor lines to free conveyor lines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a con- 3,140,772Patented July 14, 1964 veyor system as described in the precedingobject, which will be capable of automatically diverting the articlesfrom over-charged or obstructed conveyor lines to accumulating magazinesfrom which the accumulated articles are again conveyed to the previouslyobstructed conveyor lines when these lines return to their normaloperative conditions.

A further object is to provide a conveyor system as described in thepreceding object in which all the operative members are mutuallycoordinated and sensitive to the operative conditions of the system andadapted to automatically adapt the operative condition of one part ofthe system to a change in operative conditions in another part of thesystem.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor system asdescribed in the preceding objects, which will be reliable, durable,simple in operation and of low cost.

These and other objects are attained according to the invention by aconveyor system for conveying articles from at least two outlets offirst machines to a subsequent machine, comprising conveyor channels bywhich the articles that come out of the first machines are brought infront of transverse pushers reciprocating in a direction transverse tothe conveying direction of the articles, in combination with:

Feelers designed to cooperate with each one of said transverse pushersand allowing the latter to be moved forward only when an article isproperly located in front of them;

A transverse channel positioned in front of each pusher.

A reciprocating lifting device arranged at the end of each transversechannel, and whereon the articles moved by the related transverse pusherare deposited at the end of each forward stroke thereof,

Magazines with hooking teeth and pressure teeth disposed above saidlifting device, one magazine being provided for each transverse channel,

A second pusher reciprocating across the transverse channels under themagazines,

Drive means for the above operative members, timed in such a manner thatthe transverse pushers are moved forward when the lifting device is inits lowest position, and that When the lifting device is being raised,the second pusher is out of the zone above said lifting device, and

That when the articles have been raised by the lifting device up to thehooking teeth, the second pusher is moved forward, thereby advancing thearticles that are in front of it onto and along a feed channel extendingto the subsequent machine.

As mentioned, this invention relates to a conveyor system, by whicharticles are conveyed from at least two outlets of first machines, tothe inlet of a subsequent machine.

In such a case, it is required, according to the inven tion, that thearticles coming from the outlets of first machines be successivelyconveyed to a subsequent machine, along a single feeding line for thesubsequent machine.

Although the system according to the invention may be adapted for anumber of outlets of first machines greater than two and a number ofsubsequent machines greater than one, but preferably less than thenumber of the outlets of the first machines, the case of conveying ofarticles from at least two outlets of first machines, to the inlet of asubsequent machine having a capacity slightly greater than the totalcapacity of both first machines, will be hereinafter described.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention,will be apparent in the following description of an embodiment thereof,related to conveying of articles from two outlets of first machines, tothe inlet of a subsequent machine, and which is shown in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top view of the conveyor system, as viewedalong the line 1515 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the conveyor system, taken on the line1111 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of the conveyor system, taken on the line1212 of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views of some details of the conveyor system.

In all the above figures, the same component parts are identified by thesame reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, the first machines 21, 21 are provided with outlets '22, 22at which articles 23 are discharged, and such articles are to beconveyed to the inlet of a subsequent machine 74.

Two conveyor lines, which are essentially the same, start from outlets22, 22'. For the sake of clarity, the component parts of the linebeginning at outlet 22' have not 'had reference numerals applied theretoin the drawing as they are the same as those of the line beginning atoutlet 22.

Thus, only one of the conveyor lines is described in detail, namely thatwhich starts from the outlet 22.

Said outlet 22 leads onto a conveyor belt (not shown) 24, pertaining tothe conveyor system, and which is moved in the direction of the arrow.Such belt, together with stationary sides 63, forms a conveyor channel.At the end of such channel, a supporting landing 26 and a feeler member23 are provided.

Such feeler 28 consists of a swinging blade pivoted, as at 58, on abase, and movable against the action of a return spring 59. A tooth 6t)and a shoulder 61 are formed on the right end of said blade, as shown inthe FIG. 5.

The operating speed of belt 24 is adjusted so as to be greater than theaverage speed with which the articles are delivered from the outlet 22into the conveyor channel.

A pus'her32 provided on the right of the landing 26 (FIG. 1) isreciprocated in the direction of the arrow. Such pusher is formed withan inclined side catch 62 (FIG. 5) that is designed to cooperate withthe feeler 28 in the hereinafter described manner.

Extending leftward from the landing 26 is a transverse channel 33 whichends on a lifting device 37 and against a stop wall 36.

The upper section of lifting device 37, which can be verticallyreciprocated (as indicated by the arrows), is forked, and thus has twospaced end portions 38 and 39 (one for each of said conveyor lines) asshown on FIG. 2. When said lifting device is in its lowest posi tion(i.e. that shown in FIG. 3), the upper edges of end portions 38 and 39are flush with the bottom of channel 33.

A magazine 40, in the form of a vertical channel arranged above liftingdevice 37, is provided for each conveyor line.

Teeth 42, 43are pivotally mounted in the lower section of each ofmagazines 4t), and are acted upon by 'springs 54, so as to tend toprotrude below the magazine lower edge. The lower end of each of theteeth is triangularly shaped, and has an inclined bottom edge 75 below,and a supporting shoulder 76 above.

Such teeth 42 and 43 (FIG. 3) are located so as to allow the articlesconveyed by the transverse channel 33, to-pass therebelow onto the upperend of the lifting device 37. When the lifting device 37 moves upwardly,the article thereon rides against the inclined edges 75 of teeth 42 and43, thereby spreading apartthe latter and K3. the sides of the latter atlocations above the hooking teeth 42 and 43. Such pressure teeth arelinked in groups, i.e. one group for each group of magazines associatedwith the outlets of a first machine, and each group of pressure teeth 44is subjected to the action of corresponding electromagnets 5%.

Such teeth 44 are urged by springs 41 against the second article(counting from below) contained within the corresponding magazine (seeFIG. 3), and when the clectromagnet 5t) is energized, the teeth 44 aredrawn outwardly, thus releasing the corresponding article.

The faces of teeth 44 that act against the article 23, are slightlychamfered or bevelled downward, thus allowing the articles that arepushed upwardly, to pass between said teeth and the opposite magazinewall, even when the teeth are pressed against the articles.

A tilting deflector member 49 (shown on FIG. 3 only) is pivoted, as at76, in the upper section of each magazine 41 and can be moved by handinto two positions, which are respectively shown in solid and brokenlines. A chute 77 (see FIG. 3) is arranged at one side of the magazines,and is designed to collect and to bring into a removable container 78all articles which might fall from the top of magazines 4%. i

The above described conveyor lines end at the lifting device 37. Fromthat point onward, the subsequent machine 74 is fed by a single feedconveyor whereon the articles coming from the preceding conveyor linesare canalized, mutually intercalated and aligned one behind the other.

A second pusher 45 is disposed in back of the rearmost magazine 40 (seeFIG. 1) and is reciprocated in the direction of the arrows with a strokesuificient to cover the whole area above the lifting device 37. Theupper edge of pusher 45 is flush with the lower edge of the article 23that rests on the supporting shoulders 76 of teeth 42 and 43 (see FIG.3).

A latch 71 is controlled by an electromagnet 72 fitted with a returnspring, whereby it can be brought into two different positions, i.e.that shown in FIG. 1, and a second position shifted toward the right,wherein latch 71 comes into engagement with a recess 73 formed in thesecond pusher 45 thus preventing the forward stroke thereof.

Such hindrance to the forward stroke continues even if, by theelectromagnet 72, an attempt is made to draw the latch 71 outwardly,while the pusher is pulled forward by its resilient driving mechanismwhich is hereinafter described, because the end of latch '71 and recess73 have inclined engaging surfaces shaped to then keep the latch engagedin the recess, thus overcoming the pull exerted by the electromagnet 72(see FIG. 1).

A conveyor belt 46 extends from the side of magazine opposite to pusher45, and is continuously driven in the direction of the arrow. Such beltis designed to cooperate with stationary sides 47, 43, thereby forming aconveyoror feed channel by which the articles are brought to thesubsequent machine 74 (which is diagrammatically shown).

All the above described stationary components are carried by a base onwhich the specified movable components are also guided.

The transverse pushers 32 are slidably fitted in stationary guides 57(FIG. 4) and are actuated by levers 56 rockable on stationary pivots 64.The levers 56 are each driven by a cam 65 rotatable on a shaft 66effecting a complete revolution in the direction of arrow, during eachcycle of operation. One end of each lever 56 is formed with a slot 67receiving a slide 68 which is connected with the pusher 32, while theopposite end of said lever is formed with a roller 69 that is heldagainst the contour of cam 65 by the action of a spring 55.

It will be understood that the active pushing stroke of the pusher iseffected by the action of spring 55, while the return stroke is effectedby the cam 65.

The forward motion of each of the transverse pushers 32 is possible onlywhen permitted by the respective feeler 28; in other words, only when anarticle has attained the position 3t), exactly in front of thecorresponding transverse pusher, thereby forcing the related feeler 28outwardly so that the corresponding transverse pusher is allowed to moveforward.

In the case in question, the stroke covered by each of the pushers 32 issuch that the article is pushed from the position 30, into thetransverse channel 33; whereby the articles already present therein areshifted forward, until the first article of the row contained in saidchannel, is brought to rest against the limit wall 36.

Conversely, when the feelers 28 have not been forced outwardly, they donot permit forward stroking of the pushers 32. In fact, when the pushers32 are urged forward by the springs 55, the side teeth 62 of the pusherscome into engagement with the teeth 60 of feelers (FIG. 5), and furthermotion of the pushers can take place only in the subsequent cycle, sinceeven if in the meantime the feeler has been engaged by an article, itcannot be moved, because the motion thereof is prevented by the thrustexerted by the inclined end 62 of pusher 32, against the nose 61 offeeler 28.

The second pusher 45 is driven by a mechanism similar to theabovedescribed one for the transverse pushers 32. Therefore suchmechanism is not shown in the drawings.

The drive for second pusher 45 is derived from a cam that rotates at thesame velocity as cam 65, since it is 4 connected therewith by gear orchain drives.

The lifting device 37 is rhythmically reciprocated up and down, forexample, by the action of a cam and a rod or lever transmission, whichmay be considered obvious, and therefore have not been shown. Said camis also rotated at the same speed as cam 65, to which it is, in turnconnected by gear and chain transmissions.

Thus, the motions of transverse pushers 32, of pusher 45 and of thelifting device 37, are maintained in a positive relationship andcoordinated with one another, thereby to cyclically operate, and allcomponents perform a complete cycle of operation during each period, andreturn to their starting position at the end of each period.

The profiles or the shape of the periphery and timing or mutual angularsetting of the several cams are designed in such a manner as to attainthe hereinafter described coordination:

The lifting device 37 performs a reciprocating vertical motion, withdwell in the lowest position.

The operation of the mechanism for effecting the yieldable drive ofsecond pusher 45, is such that pusher 45 is moved forward (when notprevented by the latch 71) only after the end of an upward stroke oflifting device 37, at which time the articles are held up by theshoulders 76 of teeth 42, 43, whereafter said pusher is returned to theposition shown in FIG. 2 before the articles 23 are again lifted by thelifting device 37.

The operation of the mechanisms for driving the pushers 32 iscoordinated with the motion of lifting device 37 that the pushers 32 aremoved to the left, as viewed on FIG. 1, to bring the articles onto thelifting device 37 while the latter is in its lowest position.

The operation of electromagnets 72 and 50 is as follows:

The energizing circuit of magnet 72 is controlled by a control switchassociated with the subsequent machine 74, whereby, when the lattermachine is running, the circuit of electromagnet 72 is closed. The latch71 is then kept withdrawn to the left, and the second pusher 45 is freeto operate cyclically.

Conversely, when the subsequent machine 74 is inoperative, the circuitof electromagnet 72 is open and the electromagnet is deenergized topermit the latch 71 to be pushed outwardly by a spring (not shown), andthereby tion shown in the drawing,

engaged with the recess 73 for preventing the forward motion of secondpusher 45.

Thus, pusher 45 can be operated only when the subsequent machine 74 isrunning and adapted to receive the articles that are conveyed by thesecond pusher 45 onto the feed channel 46.

The electromagnets 56, by which the pressure teeth 44 are controlled,are controlled by switches associated with the related first machines21, 21 in such a manner that, when first machines 21 and 21' arerunning, said electromagnets are de-energized, and the correspondingteeth 44 are engaged with the articles 23, as stated before, therebypreventing the engaged articlestogether with all other articles piledthereonfrom falling down.

If any one of the first machines 21, 2E is inoperative, then thecorresponding electromagnets 50 are energized, thus withdrawing theteeth 44 out of contact with the related articles 23, whereby sucharticles, together with all other articles piled thereon, can com-e downstep by step, and are pushed forward, one after the other, by the pusher45 toward the machine 74.

It is to be noted that the operational cycle of the described transferand conveyor system need not be synchronized with the operational cycleof the first machines 21, 21'.

The operation of the system is as follows:

The articles that come out of the first machines 21, 21' at the outlets22, 22' and are conveyed by the belts 24 to the positions 30 on thesupporting landings 26, where they cause the feelers 28 to be swungoutwardly, and thereby permit the forward motion of pushers 32.

The operating cycle of the conveyor mechanism will be described startingfrom the stage wherein the cam 65, continuing in its rotation from theposition shown on FIG. 4, causes the pusher 32 to be moved to the left,owing to the pull of the spring 55 acting on the lever 56. Each of thepushers 32, in being moved to the left, will push to the left thearticle in the position 30, whereby all other articles present in thetransverse channels 33 are also pushed forward, until the first articleof the row comes into contact With the limit wall 36 below the magazines40.

If, on the other hand, no articles are present in the position 39, infront of pushers 32 at the moment when the drive mechanism would tend tomove the pushers to the left, such movement is prevented by the feelers28, and the corresponding transverse pushers 32 will stay in the posiandmay perform again a stroke to the left only in the subsequentoperational cycle, provided that an article 23 is then properly conveyedto the position 3t).

After the pushers 32 have been moved toward the left, the lifting device37 is lifted, thus bringing the pile of articles, held by the teeth 42and 43, to a position wherein the lowermost article in each pile isaligned with the second pusher 45.

During the above stage, as previously stated, the second pusher 45 islocated outwardly of, or withdrawn from the space through which thearticles are lifted, whereby it does not interfere therewith.

The hooking teeth 42, 43 are again closed below the lifted articles,whereby the lowermost articles are held in front of second pusher 45.

After the lifting device 37 has accomplished its upward stroke, thesecond pusher 45 can be moved forward. Such pusher, by travelling belowthe magazines 40, will push the articles 23, previously lifted by thelifting device 37, onto the conveyor belt 46.

Should a failure or inoperativeness of subsequent machine 74 occur, thiswould result in stopping of second pusher 45 in the previously describedmanner, while all other components proceed with their operation, so thatthe articles that are lifted by the lifting device 37 during each cyclethereof, are raised above the teeth 42, 43, and corresponding lift thepile of articles already present in the magazine 40 for storage in thelatter.

When the magazines are full, and further articles are introduced at thebottom, the articles at the tops of the piles are diverted by thetilting deflector member 49, which causes them to fall onto the chute 77and down into the underlying removable container 78.

In case of a failure or stopping of any one of the first machines 21,21, the pressure exerted by the teeth 44 against the article 23 withinthe magazine, is relaxed, and all articles come down to rest on thelowest one. The articles that are still on the corresponding conveyorlines continue to come into the magazines for a certain time. Duringsuch time, the articles stored in the magazines will be subjected to arhythmic up and down reciprocating motion. If such motion is to beprevented, a lag or time delay might be inserted in the circuit ofelectromagnets 50, in order that the teeth 44 will continue to actagainst the article 23 in the magazines for some more time after thefailure or stopping of the corresponding first machine. Such arrangementis not shown in the drawings, since it may be considered as obvious.

When no more articles come in from the corresponding conveyor lines, andthe teeth 44 have been withdrawn from the articles 23, the articlespresent in the magazines come down to rest on the teeth 42, 43 each timethat a backward stroke is accomplished by the pusher 45, and in thesubsequent step, they are brought forward onto the conveyor belt 46 ofthefeed channel,

In such a manner, a compensating action is exerted by the magazineswhich serve as a storage chamber, wherein the excess of articles comingfrom the first machines is stored, and respectively given back tosubsequent machines when such condition is reversed.

Such magazines 40 may then be refilled manually with articles taken,e.g., from the underlying container '78 wherein the articles diverted bythe deflector member 49 are collected, when they become empty owing to aprotracted stoppage of the first machines.

To allow a convenient refilling, said deflector member 49 can be swungoutwardly to the position as shown with broken lines in FIG. 3.

After having thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention, itwill be understood that many modifications and variations might be [madethereto, as may be readily appreciated by any person skilled in the art,with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, asdefined by the claims.

In particular, it is apparent:

That the first machines might have any number of outlets, with as manylines for the conveyance of articles from the outlets 22, to the stationof lifting device 37 which is provided with as many end portions asthere are conveyor lines.

That a magazine for each line be provided above the lifting device.

That the pusher 45 shall have a stroke sufiicient to cover the wholearea above the lifting device 37.

I claim:

1. A conveyor system comprising in combination at least two firstconveyor lines and at least one second conveyor line, said firstconveyor lines having ends opening into said second conveyor line, amagazine member having an inlet above said ends of said first conveyorlines where said first conveyor lines open into said second conveyorline, first pushing means to push the articles conveyed in said firstconveyor lines towards said opening ends, second pushing means to pushagainst gravity the articles arriving at said opening ends towards theinlet of said magazine member, third pushing means to push the articlesarriving at said inlet of the magazine member into said second conveyorline, first stopping means for stopping said third pushing means whileallowing said second pushing means to push the articles in said magazinemember, second stopping means for stopping said first pushing means whenthere is a deficiency of articles in said first conveyor lines whileallowing said second and said third pushing means to continue theiroperations and to push the articles descending from said magazine memberat the inlet of said magazine member into said second conveyor line.

2. A conveyor system by which articles are fed from at least two outletsof first machines, to a subsequent machine, including conveyor channelsfor transporting the articles that come out of first machines, andtransverse pushers arranged adjacent said channels and to which areciprocating motion, normal to the directionof article travel in saidchannels, is imparted, in combination with:

a feeler, designed to cooperate with each one of said transversepushers, and that allows the related transverse pusher to be movedforward only when an article is properly located in front of it,

transverse channels positioned in front of said transverse pushers,

a vertically reciprocating lifting device, arranged at the end of saidtransverse channels, and whereon the articles, moved by said transversepushers, are brought at the end of each forward stroke thereof,

magazines with hooking teeth and pressure teeth disposed above saidlifting device, one magazine being provided for each transverse channel,

a second pusher mounted for reciprocation across said transversechannels under said magazines,

a feed channel extending from in front of said second pusher to thesubsequent machine, and

drive means for the transverse pushers, lifting device and second pushertimed in such a manner that the transverse pushers are moved forwardwhen the lifting device is in its lowest position,

the second pusher is out of the zone above said lifting device when thelatter is being raised, and

when the articles have been raised by the lifting device up to thehooking teeth, the second pusher is moved forward, thereby advancing thearticles that are in front of it along said feed channel.

3. A conveyor system according to claim 2, further comprising meanspermitting said second pusher to operate only when the subsequentmachine is running.

4. A conveyor system according to claim 2, further com,- prising meanspermitting the pressure teeth to act against articles present in themagazines only as long as the first machines are running, and, when thefirst machines are stopped, being operative to withdraw the pressureteeth, thus allowing the articles contained in the magazines to descendin the latter and be advanced onto said feed channel by said secondpusher.

5. A conveyor system according to claim 2, wherein the upper ends of themagazines are open, to allow the discharge of articles in excess of thestorage capacity of the magazines.

6. A conveyor system according to claim 5, further comprising a tiltingdeflector member arranged on the upper end of each magazine, to divertinto a container the articles discharged from the overfilled magazines,said deflector members being tiltingly secured on the magazines to allowfree access to the upper ends of the magazines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,609,802 Ekstrom Dec. 7, 1926

1. A CONVEYOR SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AT LEAST TWO FIRSTCONVEYOR LINES AND AT LEAST ONE SECOND CONVEYOR LINE, SAID FIRSTCONVEYOR LINES HAVING ENDS OPENING INTO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR LINE, AMAGAZINE MEMBER HAVING AN INLET ABOVE SAID ENDS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYORLINES WHERE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR LINES OPEN INTO SAID SECOND CONVEYORLINE, FIRST PUSHING MEANS TO PUSH THE ARTICLES CONVEYED IN SAID FIRSTCONVEYOR LINES TOWARDS SAID OPENING ENDS, SECOND PUSHING MEANS TO PUSHAGAINST GRAVITY THE ARTICLES ARRIVING AT SAID OPENING ENDS TOWARDS THEINLET OF SAID MAGAZINE MEMBER, THIRD PUSHING MEANS TO PUSH THE ARTICLESARRIVING AT SAID INLET OF THE MAGAZINE MEMBER INTO SAID SECOND CONVEYORLINE, FIRST STOPPING MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID THIRD PUSHING MEANS WHILEALLOWING SAID SECOND PUSHING MEANS TO PUSH THE ARTICLES IN SAID MAGAZINEMEMBER, SECOND STOPPING MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID FIRST PUSHING MEANS WHENTHERE IS A DEFICIENCY OF ARTICLES IN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR LINES WHILEALLOWING SAID SECOND AND SAID THIRD PUSHING MEANS TO CONTINUE THEIROPERATIONS AND TO PUSH THE ARTICLES DESCENDING FROM SAID MAGAZINE MEMBERAT THE INLET OF SAID MAGAZINE MEMBER INTO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR LINE.